Day 4 – Grasmere to Patterdale

Today is the shortest walk on my walk, at only 8 miles .   There are 3 options to the route , up to climb Helvellyn (one of my Dad’s favourites when he was climbing) , or St Sunday Crag or the Griesdale Valley route.  The choice of which one can only be made on the day as it all depends on the weather.   It looked bright at 6am but by the time my breakfast at The Swan was done it had clouded over slightly.

I kept my fingers crossed though as I headed out of Grasmere and up to Tongue Gill – a beautiful walk , waterfalls and sweeping hills either side .  A good thigh stretching climb up here as the weather closed in and mist started to descend on the tops.   At the top of a rocky steep track comes the hidden Griesdale Tarn.  It is so quiet and peaceful – but this is Grisedale Hause (Pass) and it told me in my guidebook abrupt weather changes were common at passes , so as if on cue the weather changed . It started to rain and I felt cold for the first time so far.   It then rained for the remainder of the walk.  It looked stunning as the mist rolled down over St Sunday Crag.  But the decision on the route was settled  – from this point on I followed the Griesdale Valley route .    Rain gear on .

I went past the Brothers Parting Stone and as the name suggests …it’s where two brothers parted .  Wordsworth and his brother said goodbye at this spot in 1800 for the last time before his brother was killed at sea some years later.   I think Wordsworth might have done a better job of coming up with a less literal name than this myself .. I was just thinking of some options when I suddenly had to put my hood up as the rain seriously came in .  I made the slippery rock walk down the Griesdale Valley , very glad I was down there and not up in the mist on St Sunday.

  The walk took me a few hours into the achingly beautiful Patterdale – the walk through woods and
around winding drystone walls and bridges following Rusthwaite Beck, sheep and lambs crossing my path … Oh my goodness I just had the happiest walk in the soft rain through here – it smelt so good,

little farmhouses dotted the path with blue doors and gravel stone driveways .  Good job there wasn’t a For Sale sign at this moment or I might have been texting Simon with our new address.

I arrived at The Old Water View dripping wet and grinning .  Ian the landlord said this was common as it normally rains at Griesdale and into the village.  He whisked my wet gear into his drying room , made me a pot of tea and presented me with 3 different slices of cake .  This was joy as I had not had a packed lunch today due to the shorter distance.    I sat all soggy while he let me ask all the coast to coast questions I could think of  . Ian is known and mentioned in the map book as THE coast to Coast expert. He has worked as a guide and mountain rescue AND his daughter Rachel holds the all time
record for
the youngest person to complete it AND she’s done it 3 times !

The old Water View is the B&B where Wainwright used to stay on his trips into the Lake District, the little village shop is the first place he sold his books .  So not only I am walking in his footsteps today , I might possibly be sleeping in his pit.

I then got myself into a bit of a pickle .  My bag arrived from the infallible Packhorse courier and I was so looking forward to putting my chilly, wet, kind of musty self into the shower .  The bathroom was next door to my room  .  In I went.  Well , try as I might I could not get this shower to come on . There weren’t any taps it was a dial turn thingie , so I turned and turned – nothing . After 10 minutes of getting a bit waspy I thought I can not get my wet clothes back on again to go to reception so I made the decision to pop myself  wrapped in a towel over the bannister calling to the floors below to try and locate Ian .  I could hear shuffling down below so I called “Ian”, nothing .  I tried again , “Ian”, not a light .
“IAN”!!!!”  Then I heard I heard someone say “I can hear something ” next thing his record breaking
daughter in her school uniform  comes out from the kitchen and looks up at me as I am hanging over the bannister in a towel with wet hat hair  plastered to my head.  So I then give her a wave and say “oh, it’s so lovely to meet you” .  It is now feeling like a Carry On Hiking film .  Ian, thankfully appears at this awkward moment and I tell him my predicament .. He
says ” just turn the small blue lever behind the plumbing” .  Super , who needs taps, pointless things really. .   I give him and his daughter a wave and off I went.    Finally,  when I found that  blue lever, it was THE best shower so far in the Lakes.  I could not get out ,  water pressure finally!  After half an hour in there I think Ian was wishing he never told me about the small blue lever.

I headed down to dinner , super clean and all the hikers who had done this stage today met up in the bar and then had dinner together.   It was a great night .   A big day tomorrow up Kidsty Pike and then a lot of the walkers go off and separate , staying in different villages and walking different distances.  Tomorrow I say goodbye to John and Roger , to Susan and to Gerry .  People that have been so kind,
caring and protective of this newby from Australia.   I feel so blessed to have met such lovely people , to have had the chance to walk , climb with them , to walk by myself yet know that they are always just checking to see I’ve got there.  To the wonderful Roger who I have lost sight of many times only to find him waiting over a hill until he spots me, nods, and heads on .    

Sorry for long post here , but due to time difference and no mobile phone coverage I have not had a chance to speak to my beautiful girls much through the Lakes . It might also be the longest time I’ve had without speaking to my sis.   This is the best way to let you know about my day.   Lots of love tonight from Patterdale  xxxx